LATEST – THURSDAY EVENING..SOVEREIGN AWARDS on Apirl 1 AT WOODBINE.. MORE CHANGES RUMOURED TO COME NEWSPAPER STORIES HAVE TO BE IN DAILY NEWSPAPERS PERHAPS?
THE GIRL WITH THE HORSE TATTOO…Reade Baker employee Tanya shows off her tattoo of stakes winner KENTUCKY BEAR, now at stud at Curraghmore…
HE’S DUNE GOOD
96 Beyer Figure in Overskate win
Sand Cove staked his claim for champion older horse in Canada for 2010 with his 3rd stakes win of the season last night at Woodbine.
The Ontario sired grey by Bold Executive – Mythical Status by Mythical Ruler snuck out of the Ontario sired ranks this year to win the Grade 3 Seagram Cup at a route distance before winning the 7 furlong Overskate last night in 1: 22 1/5. He had earlier won the Steady Growth at a route distance.
The 5yo, bred by James, Janeane and arika Everett`s Shannondoe Farms, is owned by Ralph Johnson and trained by Roger Attfield.
The horse came from post 11 and was chasing hard while wide all the way and he rallied in time to beat 22 to 1 shot Mobil Unit.
“Whatever you throw at him he seems to handle, said assistant trainer Nancy Sullivan. “He went to the farm
(after the Elgin) and came back right on track.”
Sand Cove has won 10 of 30 races and over $822,000. He won just once last year in 6 races but has been a bear in 2010.
Johnson bought the horse at the 2007 yearling sale for about $60,000 Canadian.
The night featured a lot of horses moving wide to win their races but that was a product of jockeys staying far away from the rail. Later 2 of the last 3 races were won by horses running up the rail, that essentially quashed any talk that the track was outside biased.
THE STORY OF REDMAN
Cats Good to Go was not a millionaire. A flashy chestnut, yes. Some pedigree power? For sure.
He was not a stakes winner, however. In fact, the son of Tactical Cat only won two low level claiming races in western Canada up until his last appearance on Sept. 18 at Marquis Downs in Saskatoon.
But Cats Good to Go was a personality, a cool dude as it were, and sturdy. And that’s why his former trainer Renee Kierans wanted to make sure she got him back.
The phone call came to Kierans just a couple of weeks ago when the gelding’s owners Harold Reschny and Tom Kohlman, first time owners, decided to sell the gelding and knew Kierans had contacted trainer Don Blue earlier this season.
Today, the Redman is on his way to a new life as a polo pony at the farm of Don and Carol Pennycook near St. Lazare, Montreal.
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Cats Good to Go was bred by Bernard and Karen McCormack, owners of Cara Bloodstock. A son of the mare Runaway Babe, he had some well known siblings. A half-brother,Classic Runaway was a sales topper in the year 2000.
As a weanling, Cats Good to Go was sold for $50,000 (US) to the Gibralter Group, which in turn had him up for sale at the 2005 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society sale at Woodbine. Offered by Sue Foreman, as agent, the youngster was not sold for $45,000.
“I looked at him before the sale, had him vetted, so we went back)(to the barn) after he was bought back,” said Kierans, a television host for Woodbine Entertainment Group.
Kierans bought the colt for $32,000 for owner Don Danard of Alberta and gave the colt lots of time to learn his training lessons. Kierans sent the horse to trainer Malcolm Pierce at Fair Grounds in the late part of 2006 when he was ready to start his career.
It took the gelding a while to get sorted out but five races into his career, he missed winning a maiden allowance at Fort Erie on the grass in the spring of 2007.
Unfortunately, Kierans never got to see the her fellow win. After 14 races, he had collected just $10,000 and he was sent out to western Canada to race. In 2009, the gelding was sold to be a chuckwagon horse but it didn’t work out and he soon returned to the track for his new Saskatchewan interests.
“He popped up on my stable mail again one day, so I got a hold of Don Blue and said when the horse was done racing I wanted to buy him back,” said Kierans.
When Redman’s owners called Kierans, she had a deal in place with the Pennycook’s to split the cost of the gelding and bring him back to eastern Canada.
“It would be nice to save all the horses,” said Kierans. “But I just liked him, he has a great attitude, he is well made and sound.”
Cats Good to Go may not have had the reputation or riches of some horses in the news lately who have been rescued or had tragic ends to their lives, but he was lucky to have people in his life who knew that after racing, he can go on to be a friend for someone else.
CANADIANS ELSEWHERE ON SATURDAY
JOE HIRSCH TURF CLASSIC INVITATIONAL S.-GI,
$500,000, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 Grassy El Prado (Ire) Gomez Clement 126
2 Never On Sunday (Fr) Sunday Break (Jpn) Fragoso Biancone 126
3 Solitaire K Victory Gallop Maragh Bond 126
4 Treat Gently (GB) Cape Cross (Ire) Velazquez Mott 123
5 Al Khali K Medaglia d’Oro A Garcia Mott 126
6 Bearpath K Dynaformer Borel Wilkes 126
7 Telling A.P. Indy Castellano Hobby 126
8 Strike a Deal K Smart Strike Dominguez Goldberg 126
9 Paddy O’Prado K El Prado (Ire) Desormeaux Romans 121
10 Winchester Theatrical (Ire) Velasquez Clement 126
11 Interpatation K Langfuhr Lezcano Barbara 126
Saturday, Belmont Park
FLOWER BOWL INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $500,000,
3yo/up, 1 1/4mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 Gozzip Girl K Dynaformer Leparoux Ma Wolfson 121
2 Red Desire (Jpn) Manhattan Cafe (Jpn) Desormeaux Matsunaga 121
3 Changing Skies (Ire) Sadler’s Wells Velazquez Mott 119
4 Tarrip K Green Desert Maragh Clement 119
5 Ave (GB) Danehill Dancer (Ire) Castellano Attfield 119
6 Forever Together Belong to Me Gomez Sheppard 121
7 Shared Account K Pleasantly Perfect Prado Motion 119
8 Keertana Johar Lezcano Proctor 119
TRUE METROPOLITAN IN FOR $32,000 CLAIMING
Millionaire has not won in a couple of years
On Friday, some of the oldest, coolest racehorses at Woodbine will cmpete against each other in a $32,000 claiming event, race 7 at 1 1/16 miles.
in the race is 9-year-old SALTY LANGFUHN, 12 wins in 48 races and $536,000; OMAGGIO, also 9 and a winner of 13 of 55 and $480,000 and Prince of Wales winner ALEZZANDRO, 3 for 24 and $674,000.
But the shocker in the race is multiple Sovereign Award winner and millionaire TRUE METROPOLITAN, who had surgery last year and has not won a race in while…
from DAILY RACING FORM this spring:
“I didn’t want to throw him to the wolves, in his first start of the year,” said Jordan. “I like the horse too much.” True Metropolitan, a $1 million earner whose 18 wins have included 15 stakes, has been off since finishing second in the George Royal at Hastings in May 2009.
“He broke the bottom two inches off his splint bone, and we operated on him,” said Jordan. “I could have brought him back later in the year, but he’s always had foot problems and I thought it was a golden opportunity to give him the year off.” True Metropolitan’s feet now are fit, but Jordan acknowledges that age could become an issue. “When they get that old, they could lose a step or two,” said Jordan.
The horse has lost in two recent minor stakes races in western Canada. Photo below from 2008.
RACHEL RETIRED
By Blood-Horse Staff
A day after Rachel Alexandra turned in a bullet four-furlong work at Saratoga’s Oklahoma Training Track, her majority owner, Jess Jackson, announced that the reigning Horse of the Year had been retired from racing.
“As you know, despite top training and a patient campaign, Rachel Alexandra did not return to her 2009 form,” Jackson said. “I believe it’s time to retire our champion and reward her with a less stressful life. We are delighted she will retire healthy and happy to our beautiful farm in Kentucky (Stonestreet Farm)
“Rachel Alexandra owes us nothing. As a 3-year-old, she set standards and records that no filly before her ever achieved. And I suspect it will be quite a while before a 3-year-old filly ever equals or surpasses her achievements.
www.bloodhorse.com
LIFETIME PPS (EXCEPT HER LAST RACE)
http://www.nyra.com/rachel/Rachel-Alexandra-PPs.pdf
HER WEBSITE:
http://www.stonestreetfarms.com/rachel.html
HEY, WE’LL MISS RACHEL, 20 length winner of Ky. Oaks, won the Preakness, she was pretty good! Terence Dulay photo
Celebrate Oktoberfest at Fort Erie Race Track
On Sunday, October 3rd Fort Erie Race Track will have you dancing the polka as we celebrate Oktoberfest in style with a free concert from multi Grammy Award winner Walter Ostanek and his band.
Live Thoroughbred racing action begins at 1:30 pm. Fans can enjoy beer, Oktoberfest sausage and various other foods during the live racing card. The concert will get underway after the racing has been completed and will begin at 5 pm and end at 6:30 pm.
“This is a special treat for our fans who have supported live racing over the years,” said Elissa Blowe, who handles the Media/Marketing and Events for the Border Oval. “It’s our way to say thank you to everyone.”
Ostanek, known to fans as “The Polka King” is a member of Canada’s Walk of Fame as well as the Polka Halls of Fame in Cleveland and Chicago. He won Grammy’s in 1992, 1993 and 1994 for Best Polka Album.
C.O.P.E. (Community Outreach Program Erie) will have donation bins located at the customer service booth in the grandstand. Fans are asked to make a donation of a non perishable food item, grocery store gift card and/or Canadian Tire money to help with the local charity as the holiday season approaches.
As always parking and admission are free.
BLAZING COLOURS FARM…
Is hosting a Thoroughbred horse show !
– based on conformation & movement.
“Sunday October 3rd”
MARK CASSE is joining us as the judge!
A fabulous opportunity for all Thoroughbred breeders and owners to get valuable insight from Canada’s Leading Trainer.
This is the first event like this in Ontario! We have made the entry fee only $20/class, in hopes to draw out large entries the first year!!!
More about Mark Casse… Currently leading the trainer standings at the Woodbine thoroughbred racing meet, Mark Casse the Sovereign Award as Canada’s leading trainer three consecutive times in 2006, 2007 and 2008.horses have won over 100 stakes races and he has trained Canadian Champions, including Canadian Horse of the Year Sealy Hill. Mark has also had an exceptional career as a buyer of young horses, and he is a familiar face at the yearling and 2 year-old sales where he is known and respected as one of the keenest judges of conformation and future racing ability. This has been demonstrated by the fact that Mark has led Woodbine trainers in 2 year-old wins for 12 consecutive years.
There are classes for broodmares, foals, yearlings, two year olds, three year olds and four+ year olds. There is also a stallion class. There is a division for FULL TB’s and one for open or 50% TB’s.
It will be run in a enjoyable relaxed atmosphere where we are here to help you in any way we can. This is an event not to be missed and will be a great opportunity to network with other Thoroughbred breeders and owners. Come enjoy this breed with fellow Thoroughbred enthusiasts.
Please contact us if you plan to attend as we need to have you fill out a reservation form. These can be picked up, mailed out, faxed or sent via e-mail. But they do need to be filled out and returned to Southern Ontario Thoroughbred Association to reserve your horse(s) a space on show day. And if you have any questions do not hesitate to call or email! We are happy to help.
For more information please call (905) 386-0815
e-mail postmaster@blazingcoloursfarm.com
www.blazingcoloursfarm.com
A PHOTOGRAPHER will be on site so you can get some great pictures of your horse(s).
This is the first show of its kind in Ontario and we hope to do a series of 3 shows in 2011. There is a Thoroughbred division held at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto during the second week of November so we hope our show here can serve as a prep for that event!!!
Here is a link to a page where people can find the class list as well as an entry form… http://www.thoroughbredniagara.com/horse_show.html
ONE KOOL WAVE…ONE AMAZING TWO YEAR OLD!
fastest horse in Canada? He’s at Ajax folks. yes he’s a quarterhorse
There was never a doubt from anyone who has been following this horse all season – he is one “Kool”
customer! And with Kim Ito aboard there is little wonder that he is still undefeated in (8) starts. One Kool
Wave was in a league of his own in the All Canadian Futurity, completely destroying the field to capture the
title.
Last weekend, he romped in the Alex Pivoc Memorial worth $135,000.
Kim rode the “Wave” right into the winners circle to meet up with elated owners Don Ito and Robert Bailey
and trainer Don Reid (plus lots of adoring fans).
Maybe we will see this grey blur at Fort Erie – the first card of quarter horses at FORT ERIE is Saturday with 8 races at varying distances.
You can check out pp’s for the qh’s at DRF.com.
